Week Ending 2 November 2021

Uyghurs Go Through Tough Days Due to COVID-19 Lockdown

A message to the Uyghur Information Center on 1 November 2021, stated that the so-called “Xinjiang” Department of Commerce and Industry issued a unified notice on 1 November to residents to reserve their winter grains and fuels to prevent from possible suffering of cold and hunger issues due to COVID-19 shutdown and other factors. The announcement was made by the Department of Commerce and Industry in East Turkistan just three hours after the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced other China provinces. According to analysts, one of the reasons for this might be the resurgence of the Chinese virus with the onset of winter, and another reason for it might be the tensions caused by China’s large-scale deployment of troops to East Turkistan and Indian borders. Although China has taken strong anti-humanitarian measures to control the virus over the past two years, it has not been issued such a nationwide announcement on food storage. As a result, grain, vegetables, meat, and oil prices hit record highs in a single day. And as a result, the vast majority of Uyghur Farmers in East Turkistan, whose lands have been confiscated by the Chinese Government and obliged to live as casual workers, are facing more hardships.

Chinese Government Launches Comprehensive Census in East Turkistan

A message to the Uyghur Information Center on 1 November 2021, stated that China has been conducting a comprehensive census since 17 September 2021, which will last until 11 February 2022. The main purpose of the investigation is to eliminate the household registration of Chinese citizens and Chinese national ID holders who have left China before 2019 and have not yet returned. In the past, the policy was, the household registration of those who went abroad remained unchanged until they became citizens of other countries. China has made new changes to this policy, which stipulates that for people whose identities have not been used in China for two years or more, there the household registration will be completely deleted, all their properties will be confiscated, and transferred to the state account for auction. According to relevant officials from the Urumqi Real Estate Bureau, 117 fixed assets of 109 people who went abroad and did not return to Urumqi, East Turkistan, were sentenced by the court and auctioned off on Taobao from 2 April to 18 October 2021. The total sales amounted to 87,448,463 CNY (around $13,650,000) and were handed over to the Urumqi treasury. The relevant information other than Urumqi is not yet known.

Abduction of Uyghur Still Go On During COVID-19 Lockdown in Ghulja

A message to the Uyghur Information Center on November 1, 2021, stated that from 23 to 30 October, abductions continued in Ghulja during the lockdown under the pretext of COVID-19, and three teachers, including Ahmetjan Mamut, Aziz Nur, and Ilyar Ghappar, were arrested from the Ili Teachers’ Institute. The number of detainees has risen to more than 430 in a week, the main reason for this abduction was to make a public outcry during the lockdown.

Five Uyghurs Shot Dead by Chinese Police in Peyziwat County

A message to the Uyghur Information Center on 1 November 2021, stated that on 14 October, five Uyghur farmers were shot dead by Chinese policemen at the Gholtograk Rural Police Station in Peyziwat County, Kashgar. At around 8.00 p.m on 14 October, five Uyghur farmers who returned from a cotton field were smoking cigarettes leaning against the back wall of the police station duty office. A Chinese policeman on duty saw them on a surveillance camera and reported that terrorists were attempting to attack the police station. As a result, armed police arrived, shot and all of the innocent Uyghur farmers dead.

Translated by E.T.